Justice News

Four Sentenced for Involvement in Local Pill Mill

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that AMANDA JEPPE, age 34, ALAN GREGOIRE, age 36, CHANTELL EVERS, age 28, and JESSIE EVERS, age 28, were sentenced today after previously pleading guilty for their roles in an oxycodone conspiracy stemming from a pill mill that operated out of Gulf South Physician’s Group in Metairie.

According to court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but prior to January 2015, and continuing to on or about March 2016, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELLEVERS and JESSIE EVERS obtained medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone from Dr. Shannon Ceasar in exchange for a flat fee of $500 cash per prescription. The purpose of obtaining the prescriptions was to divert the oxycodone to drug traffickers and addicts. On August 21, 2018, JEPPE, GREGOIRE, CHANTELL EVERS, and JESSIE EVERS pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Acquire or Obtain Possession of Oxycodone by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, or Subterfuge, in violation of Title 21, United States Code Sections 843(a)(3) and 846.

Shannon Ceasar was a physician and former co-owner who operated Gulf South Physician’s Group. Ceasar ran a “pill mill,” i.e., an operation in which he prescribed controlled substances to drug seekers and drug abusers without a legitimate medical purpose and in exchange for a flat fee. He previously pled guilty for his role in illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances, threatening to assault or murder federal law enforcement officers, and health care fraud. On March 7, 2018, Ceasar was sentenced to 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons. His business partner, Stephen Guilbault, also previously pled guilty for his role in controlled substances violations and health care fraud, and was sentenced to 24 months in the Bureau of Prisons on August 22, 2018.

U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced JEPPE, GREGOIRE, and JESSIE EVERS to probation for a period of five years, including six months of home confinement to begin immediately. CHANTELL EVERS was sentenced to five years probation.

U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser praised the work of the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG, and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Shirin Hakimzadeh and Myles Ranier were in charge of the prosecution.